Tinubu Orders Integrity Test On 323 Dams

The Federal Government has announced plans to conduct an integrity test on the Alau Dam following devastating floods that submerged about half of Maiduguri, Borno State.

The decision came during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on Monday, presided over by President Bola Tinubu.

In response to recent flooding in Maiduguri and other parts of the country, FEC resolved to establish a technical committee tasked with conducting integrity tests on Alau Dam and other dams nationwide to prevent future disasters.

Nigeria currently has about 323 dams, including small, medium, and large dams, which are used for water supply, flood control, and power generation, among others.

The council also backed President Tinubu’s proposal to create a National Disaster Relief Fund.

The fund will be financed from a portion of the revenue accruing to the Federation account, with additional contributions sought from the private sector.

The initiative is expected to provide immediate and long-term support to areas affected by natural disasters.

“The meeting reviewed the flooding in some parts of the country, especially the one that destroyed almost 50 per cent of Maiduguri in Borno State.
The meeting backed the President’s idea of setting up a Disaster Relief Fund to be funded by a portion of the revenue accruing to the Federation account. Funds will also be solicited from the private sector.

“The meeting resolved to set up a technical committee to conduct integrity tests on Alau Dam and other dams countrywide,” Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s media aide, disclosed on Monday.

The measures come on the heels of President Tinubu’s recent visit to the flood-ravaged capital of Borno.

The president had visited the Shehu of Borno, and an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp at the Government Secondary School in Maiduguri, during which he declared “There must be a disaster relief fund.”

He had said, “After my visit to the Shehu of Borno and the IDP camp, I have been reflecting on how to tackle this kind of disaster and the effects of climate change.

“I will invite the private sector to team up with us and help rebuild the affected areas.

“If we take a small percentage from FAAC and put it as disaster relief fund, which will include all of you, we will be activating and strengthening our sense of belonging,” he said.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said more than 30 people died while over 400,000 were displaced by the Maiduguri flood.

Since 2024, floods have killed 259 people across 29 states in the country.

Due to the flood crisis, President Tinubu announced last week that he was shelving the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session ongoing in New York, the United States, to prioritise “domestic issues”.